We recently connected with Megan Jewell and have shared our conversation below.
Megan, so great to have you with us today. There are so many topics we want to ask you about, but perhaps the one we can start with is burnout. How have you overcome or avoided burnout?
There’s not many days off when you’re a sole proprietor of a small business. People will give you negative reviews for not being available to respond to messages fast enough while you’re on vacation. Having to be available on social media 24/7 & keeping up appearances in markets at least 5 out of 7 days takes a toll on my mental health. It’s taken me about 3 years to learn this, but I typically give myself Mondays off with the freedom of having no plans that day. I do a bit of social media that morning, reply to emails, & search for more markets on the horizon, but I let myself drink my coffee slower & not rush myself that day. Giving myself a “me day” has been really helpful in keeping my sanity. I run The Plant Trolley out of my own house so I’ve learned to move all my plants into their own personal room. My husband & I call it “The Plant Room,” & it’s where I keep everything related to the business. It allows me to leave my work in one room & shut the door to enjoy my family & personal life without it being in my face all the time. I’ve also set boundaries to not do business during late night hours.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
We’re always focused on growing & how we can do better as a small business while still supporting other small businesses in the process. I think whats most exciting about us you never know where we will be next or what we’ll have on board. I’ve heard people tell me they follow us on social media just to know whats going on around town. We’re unique in that most people have never seen anything like our set up before. We like to keep the fun, harder to find succulents so it’s exciting to see peoples reactions to what we have on board. Inventory is always changing &different.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I grew up with a lot of trauma & street smarts developed from living in Memphis. My upbringing pared with over 13 years in the service industry has taught me how to succeed. Three characteristics that have been most impactful on my journey is being realistic, resilient, & understanding the chaos of a busy work day & how to deal with it effectively.
Tell us what your ideal client would be like?
My ideal client is someone who is excited about plants & friendly, is open-minded, & asks questions. Although I don’t think I’ve ever met someone is upset to buy plants.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @theplanttrolley
- Facebook: /theplanttrolleyknoxville
